ADDISON TOWNSEND TOP TIPS

Everyone knows the old trick, ‘Brew up a pot of coffee just before a viewing and make sure the aroma smacks likely buyers in the face as they walk through the door.’ A good idea, but also consider these:

• A freshly painted front door is a good place to start. You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.
• A buyer wants to stride into a room, not struggle through litter, junk mail and clutter. Keep things tidy!
• There’s a big difference between getting a feel for a place and having to feel your way around. Natural light can liven a place up and give a feeling of freshness and cleanliness. So, draw back the curtains and let the natural light in!
• To a nervous first-time buyer, a damp stain caused by a minor past leakage suggests costly works need to be done; get it fixed and painted over.
• Air in, damp smells out; make use of ‘plug-ins’.
• In vacant properties, always leave some furniture behind to give the place a lived-in feeling.
• Peeling paint on a window, or a garden gate hanging off its hinges suggests that work needs to be done on the property. This could be used to re-negotiate the price, so make sure everything is in order.
• If you have a garden, check outside the house is as neat and tidy as the inside.
• Dark room? Have lights on during the day time. They can add enchantment...
• Move the furniture against the walls, the more floor you can see the bigger the room appears

ADDISON TOWNSEND SIMPLE SALES GUIDE

Selling your home can be a complicated business, but at Addison Townsend we aim to take the complications out, just read our step-by-step guide to selling your property and we feel that the whole process will be simplified in an instant :

1. VALUATION

Firstly, if you are selling, you will require a valuation. At Addison Townsend we can offer you a free, no obligation factual and accurate appraisal of the current market value of your home. Our experienced property valuers will provide you with a valuation based not only on their in depth knowledge of North London and surrounding areas, but also utilising our extensive database of recently sold properties.

2. INSTRUCTION OF THE AGENT/PROPERTY DETAILS

Having received your valuation, and provided that you are satisfied with it, we will then proceed to prepare full sales details of your property. Bearing in mind the importance of presentation, we will ensure that your sales details highlight the vitally important aspects of your property and ensure that your home is shown to its best possible advantage with the aid of full colour photographs and floorplan to feature on our website. We can organise your legally-required Energy Performance Certificate on your behalf, if you need us to do so? You must have commissioned an EPC before your property can be marketed.

3. MARKETING

To find your perfect buyer you need to give your property maximum exposure across a wide range of media. When you instruct Addison Townsend to sell your property you will automatically benefit from our unrivalled, comprehensive marketing package, including: exposure on our website, full colour property details, inclusion in the weekly local paper, email and SMS alerts. Once you have seen and approved our particulars of your home, you will then be in a position to receive prospective buyers. Appointments to view your property are made by Addison Townsend and all viewings where possible will be accompanied. Your property is now ready to market.

4. OFFERS

Any offers we receive are promptly verbally notified and then followed up in writing. Our competent sales team will negotiate between you and your prospective applicant in order to achieve the strongest buyer.

We will inform you of the position of the buyers and liaise with you until an accepted offer has been agreed.

5. AGREED SALE

Once you accept an offer we will do the following:

• Ask you to confirm your solicitor's details (Addison Townsend can provide competitive quotes of reputable companies if required)
• Prepare a memorandum of sale
• Write to all parties to confirm the agreed price

Your solicitor will send out a draft contract to the buyer's solicitor who will then carry out preliminary enquiries. At this stage you will also be able to agree on dates for the survey on your property. Once the buyer has carried out their survey and has received their mortgage offer (where necessary) you will be able to move towards exchange of contracts and proposed dates for completion. Addison Townsend will advise you and negotiate on your behalf throughout this process, keeping you informed every step of the way.

6. EXCHANGE OF CONTRACTS

Exchange of contracts occurs when the following have been confirmed and agreed:

• Preliminary enquiries following receipt of draft contract Evidence of a clean title
• Specific issues highlighted in the Lease, if applicable
• Local search queries
• Fixtures and fittings to be included in the sale
• The buyer's mortgage offer

Once the contract has been signed by both parties the deposit (usually 10% of the purchase price) will be telegraphically transferred or paid in the form of a banker's draft by the buyer's solicitor to your solicitor. The completion date is then set by mutual agreement.

7. COMPLETION

Completion is when the residual monies are transferred from the buyer's solicitor to your solicitor's account. Your solicitor will call you when the money has cleared in your account and will inform us to release the keys.